B-
Detroit Lions
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Lions a B-.
by aechean ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 2 steals
· 10 reaches
The Lions spent real capital to be 130 picks early on Aidan Hubbard, and the board is going to hold them to it. It does the job without flash, and the B- reflects it.
However the rest shakes out, Burks at that price is a win they earned. The dealing alone would carry a lesser class.
They punted on safety, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. Spend now, pay later; the math only works if this class delivers.
A competent weekend that does not make headlines and does not need to.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a go-to option on the outside at fair value. A real need, handled.
In the 19th overall pick they get an anchor for the offensive line, reach and all. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
They jumped the gun on Keionte Scott, taking him earlier than his grade liked. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Harold Perkins Jr. well ahead of where he belonged. It fills a real need, too.
They liked Parker Brailsford enough to skip the value, taking him in Round 4, Pick 18. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Zane Durant. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
They barely believed it either: Deion Burks still on the board at Round 4, Pick 28. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Charles Demmings at the 157th pick is money in the bank, a cornerback taken below his worth. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A premium they did not need to pay, Domani Jackson a notch or two before his time. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Patrick Payton this early at the 181st overall pick. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
No edge and no loss on Toriano Pride Jr. in pick 205; it is a wash and a sensible one. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A big swing on Nick Barrett at No. 213, well ahead of any board in the building. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Jack Pyburn in slot 222 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They reached into another round for Aidan Hubbard, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.